Park Jeong-min explores new territory as romantic lead in action-thriller 'Humint'

▲ Actor Park Jeong-min is seen in this photo provided by Sem Company. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ A still from "Humint," provided by Next Entertainment World shows actor Park Jeong-min. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ Park Jeong-min attends a press conference for "Humint" in Seoul on Feb. 4, 2026. (Yonhap)

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Park Jeong-min explores new territory as romantic lead in action-thriller 'Humint'

By Woo Jae-yeon

SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Yonhap) -- In Ryu Seung-wan's upcoming action thriller "Humint," Park Jeong-min, acclaimed for his versatility in both indie and commercial films, is ready to showcase yet another facet as an actor: a romantic lead.

He plays Park Gun, a North Korean intelligence officer who arrives in Russia's Vladivostok, ostensibly tasked with monitoring Hwang Chi-sung (Park Hae-joon), the North Korean consul general there, who is suspected of being involved in human and narcotics trafficking.

Park's real purpose, however, is to search for Chae Sun-hwa (Shin Se-kyung), a former lover whom he broke up with after a relationship went sour over the brutal interrogation of Sun-hwa's father.

"It meant a lot to me that the director saw my potential to play a romantic role and trusted me to pull it off," Park said at an interview with local reporters on Monday.

"Before him, no director had taken the chance of casting me in that kind of role," he laughed.

Despite the powerful action sequences required in the film directed by the "Veteran" and "I, the Executioner" director, the actor said the most important part in his performance lay in delivering emotional depth and nuance.

"The action scenes themselves were actually very safe, as they were all meticulously prepared," he said. "What was most challenging was conveying our lines and emotions in those highly charged moments."

To convincingly portray his character, who becomes increasingly gaunt as he is torn between his duty and protecting Sun-hwa, the actor said he ran extensively every day to lose weight.

Park said his portrayal of the romantic lead was greatly aided by actress Shin, whom he described as possessing a natural calmness and charisma that bring out the best in her co-stars.

"When she fully inhabits a character, it is as if she wields a magical power."

Park's romantic role in the upcoming film has been highly anticipated especially following his duet performance with singer Hwasa at last year's Blue Dragon Film Awards ceremony.

His appearance as Hwasa's former boyfriend in the performance of "Good Goodbye" quickly went viral, with his romantic gaze and the duo's palpable chemistry, arguably overshadowing the rest of the awards ceremony.

He said he remained "unfazed" by all the memes and fuss following the performance, even with the nickname "nation's ex-boyfriend."

"I know the hype will die down soon, so I don't give it much thought," he said. "After 15 years in acting, I am grateful that this unusual label has been attached to me. Expanding one's scope in any direction is always a good thing," he said.

Since his debut in the 2010 film "Bleak Night," he has performed a wide variety of roles, from a pianist suffering from savant syndrome in "Keys to the Heart" (2018) to dual roles as a blind seal engraver master and his son in Yeon Sang-ho's low-budget film "The Ugly" (2025).

"When choosing a work, it is neither about a character nor about a genre. It is about whether a story moves my heart and is the kind I want to tell," he said.

Regarding "Humint," while it is labeled as an action film, the actor said it is really about how far one can go to sacrifice oneself for another.

"It is basically a story about people and the choices they make in extreme circumstances. It resonated with me deeply and, and on top of that, it is really fun," he said.

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